Community

We aim to build trust through ongoing collaboration with a broad range of stakeholders, including communities and governments, which involves listening and responding to stakeholder needs and concerns. For the past 10 years, we have used a tripartite approach to community relations: direct community meetings, cross-community initiatives through SEMAFO Foundation and mine-specific consultation committees. The latter, which are presided by the provincial governor, have been enacted into local bylaws to provide a forum for discussion between the mine and impacted communities.

Direct Community Achievements

In keeping with our desire to create an environment conducive to the improvement of lives and livelihoods of people in the countries in which we operate, our mines support the local population directly through near-mine initiatives. These include upgrading roads in the immediate vicinity of the mine, compensating farmers for loss of arable land, repairing water wells, transporting patients to health facilities and providing financial support for religious holidays.

SEMAFO Foundation, a Powerful Community Force

Through SEMAFO Foundation, community investment helps build sustainable partnerships between SEMAFO and neighbouring communities while reinforcing the latter’s self-sufficiency. Inspired by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, SEMAFO Foundation pursues its mission to support communities by investing in development projects and by training and empowering the population.

Over the past nine years, the Foundation has injected a total of C$11.4 million in Burkina Faso, benefiting approximately 1.6 million Burkinabe. Of the C$11.4 million, the Foundation invested C$3.1 million in educational projects and C$0.9 million in income-generating projects. Participants in the latter agricultural projects generated total income of C$6.7 million, representing a 700% return on the Foundation’s investment.